"I was angry. I could have kept at it but it wasn't right, not when she was only so far away and saying that she was content where she was." It had almost felt like a betrayal when her sister said she was happy in the Circle, even with that first letter. "I wish there were better solutions too."

And she sorely wished the Gallows weren't referred to as such. Fenris could talk about how much they deserved their place, but residing in an area full of statues of tormented slaves was not a way to live. The reality was not so dire, of course, but it didn't help.

She finished off her drink. "I don't see why you wouldn't. You are an attractive man. In Lothering, I know there were quite a few women who had eyes for one of the Templars." But in a small setting like that, it was inevitable; everyone knew each other. She raised an eyebrow. "Are you surprised because it was me or because simply the fact that someone approached you?"